Over 68% of the advocates surveyed from eight High Courts were of the opinion that the collegium system of appointments — wherein the Supreme Court appoints judges to itself and the HCs — ensures the selection of the most competent judges, a report by Delhi-based Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy has revealed.
The survey covered 2,880 practising advocates from eight HCs — Delhi, Allahabad, Bombay, Kerala, Gujarat, Calcutta, Madras and Patna — who answered 27 questions across various themes.
The survey covered advocates’ perceptions about the judges with regard to different aspects of their functioning, their relationship with the Bar Council and their perceptions about their earnings and other professional conditions.
On whether the advocates think they get a fair hearing before the judge, 82% of the surveyed Delhi HC advocates said it depended on the judge or the bench.
Monthly income
It also found that 80% of the surveyed advocates from the Delhi HC said that the average monthly income in the first two years of practice is between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000. For the remaining seven HCs, over 78% of the advocates surveyed said this was in the range of ₹2,000 and ₹10,000.
“This finding is particularly relevant in the current times where reports have emerged regarding the adverse impact of lockdown has had on a large section of advocates,” Vidhi Centre said.
“Many Bar Associations have sought financial assistance from the governments and Bar Councils. In this backdrop our data collected on the average earnings of the advocates at different stages of career progression can inform the discussion on the professional security that advocates as a class enjoy,” it added.
Financial help
The survey also found that only 7.58% of the surveyed Delhi High Court lawyers have themselves or any other lawyer they know received assistance from the Advocates’ Welfare Fund that was established by a law in 2001. This percentage, however, was much higher at the other seven HCs at around 64.
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